Multiple Choice
Which property of water is responsible for ice floating on liquid water?
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3. Water
Properties of Water- Density
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Which property of water explains why glacial ice floats rather than sinks?
A
The surface tension of water increases when it freezes.
B
Water molecules in ice are more tightly packed than in liquid water.
C
Ice contains more dissolved gases than liquid water.
D
Ice is less dense than liquid water due to hydrogen bonding.
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the concept of density: Density is defined as mass per unit volume. Substances with lower density will float on substances with higher density.
Recognize the role of hydrogen bonding in water: Water molecules form hydrogen bonds, which are responsible for many of its unique properties, including its behavior when frozen.
Explain the structure of ice: When water freezes, the hydrogen bonds arrange the water molecules into a crystalline lattice structure. This structure spaces the molecules farther apart compared to their arrangement in liquid water.
Relate the crystalline structure to density: Because the molecules in ice are spaced farther apart, ice has a lower density than liquid water. This is why ice floats on water.
Conclude with the property of water: The property of water that explains why ice floats is its lower density in the solid state due to hydrogen bonding, which creates the crystalline lattice structure.
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